Ordnance on ships



-2 Sheets---8heet 1. A. KRUPP.

, MOUNTING ORDNANGE 0N SHIPS. N0. 245,38-6.- Patented Aug. 9, 1881..

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. KRUPP.

MOUNTING ORDNANGE ON SHIPS.

N0. Z45,3 86. Patented'Aug. 9,1881.

' UNrTED STATES,

PATENT OFFIcE.

ALFRED KRUPP, OF ESSEN, GERMANY.

MOUNTING ORDNANCE ON SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,386, dated August 9, 1881,

Application filed November 30, 1878. Patented in England April 1 1, 1878.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED KRUPP, of Essen, in the Empire of Germany, caststeel manufacturer, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mounting Ordnance, which improvements are fully set forth in the followin g specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

These improvements relate to the mounting, pivoting, and easier working of guns in ships and vessels of war, land forts, batteries, and other constructions carrying-arms, ordnance, or offensive and defensive naval and military appliances; and they have,principally,fortheir object the firing in any direction,and the construction of the supports, platform, and vessel in such manner that the gun is held securely in its place, yet may rotate with the shaft or spindle, so as to obtain all-round fire, resist or absorb the recoil, thus combining in lightdraft swift vessels the qualities of the broadside, end-on, and turret ships.

My invention consists in constructing, arranging, and combining the apparatus, spindle, or shaft, and carriage in one, so as to resist or absorb the recoil, substantially in the man'- ner hereinafter described for the above purpose. The guns or ordnance and carriage are arranged and connected in such way that the gun may rotate, so as to command and fire at all points of the compass.

I proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings, modes of carrying the invention into practical effect.

The modes are illustrated by the accompanydrawings.

Figure 1 represents apartial transverse sec tion of a light-draft gun -vessel on my'plan with sloping sides. This vessel may carry one or more heavy guns so pivoted as to command all-round. fire, and thus avoid the necessity of laying the vessels head in any particular direction. Fig. 2 shows an end view of the gun and partial section of the vessel and gun-supports. Fig. 3 shows partial sectional plans of the gun bearings and supports, the right side corresponding to the support shown in Fig. 2, and the left side to that shown in Fig. 6. Fig. at is a sectional plan, and Fig. 5 avertical sec tion, of" the hollow spindle or shaft shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a vertical section, transversely carry by means of wrought H-iron struts E,

of the vessel, of the gun-spindle, and an elevation of the gun and gun-supports.

A is the spindle or shaft, t'orged either solid, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or hollow, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the head of which is eithermade square or round to enablethe carriage or checks B to be shiftedto any position in the 7 event of the head being damaged. These cheeks forming the carriage I make either of forged iron, soft cast-steel, bronze, or other material found most desirable, placing the trunnions in such aposition that the rear part of the spindle may always be close to its bearings, and which I connect by means of dovetails, keys, screws, and wedges.

The step or shoe 0 may be either of forged iron or of soft cast-steel or other material, well supported and secured to the keelsonot' the vessel, or, where depth of vessel allows, it may be secured and carried upon an intermediate deck, the keelson, floors, and deck of which I stiffen for the purpose.

At the deck or under the head of the shaft or spindle A, I support the same either by means of an arm or plate bush, backed with teak or hard wood cheeks, well secured to plate and angle-iron carlings, as usual in shipbuilding, and shown at D. These carlings I 8o stepped upon keelsons F, and ice-bars G, of

flat iron worked under the deck-plating, Figs.

1, 2, and 3, the whole of which I well connect to the frames, floors, and beams of the ship, or by means of a solid brush or block, J, of wrought-iron, soft cast-steel, or other material, with friction-rollers, or having a tight-fittin g turned ring, N, let into it in two pieces, as shown at Fig. 6, and supported by H-iron struts, fiat tie-bars, rods, and trussing well dovetaileda'ndkeyed into it, and connecting them to the vessels framing in a similar manner as above.

K in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 shows a strong wrought or cast ironwheel, secured to the shaft or spindle A by keys or screws, bolts, or other means, and turned by the pinions L, driven either by steam, hydraulic, or hand power, their spindles or shafts being continued through the upper deck to enable the gunner, by means of keys or levers, to adjust the position as required for smaller guns This wheel shown at M, Fig.1, to prevent undue exposure of the men, and to facilitate the loading and r0 sighting of the gun while in any position.

I am aware that guns have been mounted on pivots, and that gun-carriages have intervened between the gun and the pivot, so that the carriage was moved by the recoil; and I am also aware that diagonal braces have been introduced in the framing of a vessel.

By my improvement the recoil ot' the gun is taken upon the entire vessel, and the vessel itself becomes a carriage for the gun.

I do not claim a ships gun-carriage in which the trunnions are mounted on avertical shaft capable of being revolved, and so that the shock caused by the lirin g of the gun is taken upon parts that are connected to the ship.

I claim as my invention-- v 1. In combination with the gun and vertical pivot, the trunnion-bearings B, connecting the gun directly to the pivot-shaft, the neck-bearing G, and the radial and downwardly-inclined braces connected at their upper ends around the neck -bearing, and at their lower ends to the bottom of the vessel, for distributing the strain of the recoil, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the pivoted gun-carriage and gun, and the floating vessel carryin g the same, a neck-bearing inserted into the (leek of the vessel, and braces extending from the neck -bearing to the vessel, to distribute the recoil of the gun upon the vessel, whereby the recoil of the gun is transferred to the entire vessel.

ALFRED KRUPP.

Witnesses:

OTTO EIGHHOFF, J OHANNES PIEPER. 

